Delphi said today it has invested two companies and struck a partnership with a third that will help it develop systems for new cars that can process and transmit data faster — capabilities that are becoming increasingly important as automakers develop self-driving cars.

Delphi, a tier-one supplier to most of the world's largest automakers, has already emerged as a leader in the development of systems and technology some automakers need in the autonomous cars of the future.

The Troy-based supplier said today it has purchased minority stakes in Valens, a provider of semiconductor products that can quickly transmit large volumes of data, and in Otonomo, a company that has developed a platform that tracks and aggregates the data generated from cars.

Delphi declined to disclose the value of the investments or percentage of the stake it purchased in Valens or Otonomo.

Valens said it secured an additional $60 million in capital from five investors. The funding was led by Israel Growth Partners but Delphi is the lead strategic investor. Valens other new investors include: Samsung Catalyst Fund, Goldman Sachs and MediaTek.

“We have made some significant strides in the automotive market in the past year, and the support of IGP, who has a solid track record of investing in technology companies in growing markets, and of the unique investors’ syndicate participating in this round is a testament to this success and to our drive to continue doing so going forward,” ,” Dror Jerushalmi, Valens’ co-founder and CEO said in a statement.

Delphi also said it has entered into a strategic partnership with Germany-based Rosenberger, which makes high-tech connection systems that allow automated vehicle driving systems to work better.

The deals announced by Delphi further underscore how both traditional automotive suppliers and automakers are moving rapidly to reach partnerships with both large and small technology companies in the race to establish leadership positions in the rapidly developing autonomous car arena.

Earlier this week, for example, German auto supplier Bosch and Mercedes-Benz said they would work together to introduce a driverless car by the start of the next decade. Ford, which has also vowed to begin selling a fully autonomous car by 2021, said in February it would invest $1 billion in Argo AI, a small start-up company founded by former Google engineers that specializes in artificial intelligence.

Delphi Chief Technical Officer Glen De Vos said Wednesday that one of the biggest emerging challenges for automakers developing connected cars is the ability to move and transmit the data required for autonomous cars to operate.

"Delphi’s vision is to enable the brain and nerve center of the vehicle through our leadership in computing and complete electrical architecture solutions," De Vos said. "We have selected world leaders in three areas: high-speed data transmission, connectivity and data management."

Mike Ramsey, a research director at Gartner Group, gives Delphi credit for investing in companies that will help automakers solve some of the toughest issues facing the self-driving vehicles.

"All three of these companies have a role that helps to tame the tyranny of data," Ramsey said. "What I like about what Delphi is doing is, more than any other company I have seen, they are putting together the right pieces."

Here is a closer look at each company in which Delphi will invest:

Valens

Founded in 2006, Valens specializes in technology that helps companies move high volumes of data.

Valens makes chip-to-chip technology that the company says allows for connectivity speeds six times faster than today’s industry standard.

"And so for us, as we are moving the data around the vehicle … it allows us to do it not just at a higher rate, but at a lower cost," De Vos said.

Otonomo

Otonomo was founded in 2015 "with a goal to disrupt the connected and autonomous car industry," the company says on its website.

Former GM vice chairman Steve Girsky is among four members of its advisory board.

De Vos said Otonomo's technology aggregates data generated as cars are driven and sends it to automakers who can then use that data to sell services to the owner of the car. De Vos said the services could be from emergency assistance services to location-based advertising.

Owners with privacy concerns or those who simply are not interested in those services should not worry, De Vos said, because they will be able to opt out, or turn off those services.

"You own your data," he said.

Rosenberger

Founded in 1958, Rosenberger specializes in high-voltage fiber optic technology and radio frequency connection systems.

Delphi and Rosenberger have agreed to form a partnership to develop high-performance, cost-effective hardware to transmit data.